What am I doing wrong with my calathea?

thegidgetJune 25, 2012

The leaves look fine in the center but are yellow and curly at the tips. Soil is kept moist and I mist it an average of once a day since I live in a drier climate. I've had it about a month and keep it out of direct sunlight but it does get some light from an east facing window. Thank you!

If it is not burnt due to the hot intense sun there , then I will say it is fertilizer or salt burn.

When was the last time that you flushed your mix with fresh rain water or bottle water of all the accumulated salts from your fertilizer and or faucet water?
When was the last time you repotted into a fresh mix?
Is your mix very porous?

Calatheas are slow-growing, therefore do not need constant fertilizing.
Once a month, during growing season is adequate.
My Calatheas are fertilized with Fish Emulsion. FE has a little fishy odor, but it's natural and will not cause root burn.

One other thing you can try is, saving water. I keep cleaned milk containers filled w/water. When Cals need a drink, the water is room temp and chlorine free.
Chlorine effects plants in different ways. Some plants are sensitive to Chlorine and cause leaf tips to burn, so give it a try.

I can't help but I thought I might chime in with my experience. Mine went from the bedroom to the kitchen and in the kitchen it grew fine and healthy as well as in my bedroom. Then I placed it in the bathroom and the leaf tips are starting to brown although not as bad as OP. I don't know how to explain it; I thought it would love the extra humidity in the bathroom but I guess not. Perhaps the constant sway in extreme hummidity from hot showers to very low is stressing it out.